


My Life is Incomplete Without You

by teej_318



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: And lowkey so does Mike, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys Hugging, Boys In Love, But Joyce knows he's not, Everyone just assumes he is, F/M, Friendship, Good Parent Joyce Byers, Hopper's not really dead, M/M, Mending relationships/friendships, Season 3 compliant (mostly), coping with loss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-06-25 17:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19749976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teej_318/pseuds/teej_318
Summary: One week after the battle of Starcourt Mall, everyone is handling the events in their own way. Mike Wheeler decides to right some wrongs.





	1. Apologies

Mike paused outside the front door of the Byers home. It had been a week since everything had gone to shit at the Starcourt Mall. Everyone had handled the aftermath in their own way. Max and her family buried Billy's body; the official story was that he was killed in a freak accident at the mall. Dustin spent most of his time talking with his girlfriend Suzie, who they all knew now was in fact a real person. He didn't tell her what had happened, of course, but she provided a source of comfort for Dustin. Lucas tried his best to support Max by being there at Billy's funeral, which is all that she asked him to do. Erica helped Lucas with Max and became a surrogate sister who Max could hug and cry with. Nancy spent most of the time shut away in her room, but always talked to Mike whenever they were alone together in the house. Steve and Robin had lost their jobs, but spent nearly every waking moment together.

And Mike, he had kept to himself for the most part. Although he checked in with everyone before turning in for the night, including the Byers family, he couldn't talk to anyone about anything that had happened, just like before. He was having difficulty sleeping, but it wasn't because of the Mind Flayer's weapon or from Hopper appearing to be gone forever. Mike spent hour after hour in his bed worrying about the most important people in his life and it hurt his heart not to know how they were coping. 

After the seventh restless night in a row with little sleep, Mike decided he had to know himself if the Byers family was doing all right. Most importantly, he needed to see Will and El and make sure they were okay. He knew they wouldn't be, but he needed to know that they were coping with everything that had happened.

Mike sighed before he knocked on the door. He put his hands into his pockets, breathing deeply in order to calm his nerves. Finally, the door opened.

"Hi there, Mike," Joyce said in a small voice.

"Hi, Mrs. Byers," Mike replied just as quietly. "Can I come in?"

Joyce nodded and stood aside. Mike stepped through the door, which Joyce closed once he was inside. Being inside the Byers home brought Mike a sense of peace. The home had always been a safe haven for him and he always felt safe when he was here, safer than he did in his own home. Mike silently followed Joyce over to the sofa and sat down with her, trying his best to smile. It came out as a grimace instead.

"What can I do for you?"

"I, um...I just wanted to know if you're okay," Mike said. 

Joyce breathed sharply. She closed her eyes for a second and shook her head as if she were shaking a bad feeling away from her body before she looked into Mike's eyes.

"I'm doing okay," she said. "Not good, but okay. I'm just hanging in there, you know?"

Mike nodded.

"And Jonathan?" he asked. "I didn't see his car here. Is he out?"

"He's just getting some groceries for us. I didn't think I could handle being out in public right now."

"I understand," Mike said, nodding again. He hesitated a moment before he continued. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Byers."

"For what?"

"For everything. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there to stop Hopper from getting hurt. I'm sorry that I didn't do a better job protecting everybody. I'm sorry I haven't been here for you all like I should. I don't feel like a very good person."

Mike stopped talking as he felt tears well up in his eyes. He brushed them away impatiently as Joyce leaned forward and pulled him into a hug.

"Oh, sweetie, you have nothing to be sorry for, okay?" Joyce said as tears fell down her face. "There wasn't anything you could have done. Hopper would have done what he did no matter what. You can't blame yourself, okay?"

"I should've done more," Mike whispered as fresh tears formed in his eyes.

"No, no, honey, listen," Joyce said as she broke apart the hug and lifted Mike's face with her chin so she could look directly at him. "You're still just a kid, Mike. And that's okay. You don't have to have so many responsibilities and feel like you have to go above and beyond, okay? You can just be a kid, Mike. I know you think that you have to be the one who protects everyone, but you don't have to be. You can just be the kid who fights hard and defends his friends against everything bad. And that is okay, Mike. You're a good friend; you've always been so good to Will and all of your friends."

"I'm not so sure I'm a good friend," Mike said. "I hurt Will. And I hurt El. I need to make it right with the both of them, even if they don't want to see me."

"They do want to see you, Mike, I promise. Both of them have asked about you every day. They're worried about you, just like I'm sure you're worried about them. You should talk to them."

"That's why I'm here. I need to make sure my Byers family is okay."

Joyce chuckled at this. It was the first genuine smile Mike had seen on her face since before everything had happened in the last few weeks.

"Well, I'm okay, Mike. And thank you for checking up on me. You've always been such a wonderful young man and I'm thankful for you."

"You've been like another Mom to me, Mrs. Byers. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Joyce smiled as she leaned in and gave Mike a kiss on the cheek. 

"Thank you for saying that, sweetie," she whispered. "It really means a lot. Now, go and see your two best friends. El is in Jonathan's room and Will is in his room. I know they’ll both be happy to see you."

Mike nodded as he gave Joyce a quick hug before he stood up and walked over to Jonathan's bedroom. He knocked on the door and it opened of its own accord. Mike smiled to himself as he walked into the room. El was sitting on the bed reading a Wonder Woman comic that Max had lent her. Mike sat down on the bed and that's when El finally looked up at him.

"Hi," Mike said shyly.

"Hello," El replied shortly.

"Are you doing okay? I mean, after everything that happened?"

El nodded wordlessly at him.

"And, are you okay about...Hopper?" Mike asked, hesitating as he said The Chief's name.

El threw the comic away when she heard his name. Tears started forming in her eyes and Mike could sense the pain she was in. He leaned over to her and wrapped his arms around El as she burst into tears and sobbed into his shoulders. 

"I miss him so much!" El wailed as she buried her face into Mike's embrace.

Mike shushed El lightly and rubbed circles on her back as she let out all of the tears. It was several moments before she calmed down and her breathing returned to normal. When she did, Mike broke the hug apart and grabbed onto El's wrists gently.

"I know how much you miss him," he said. "I don't know what it's like losing someone like that, but I know the pain that you're in and I want you to know that I feel it, too. And if you ever need somebody to talk to, I'm always here, okay?"

"Thank you," El breathed back as fresh tears fell down her face. She wiped them away and tried to give Mike a reassuring look.

"And there's something more I need to say," Mike said as he let go of El and put his hands in his lap. "I need to apologize for being such a bad friend and boyfriend. I got too possessive of you. I don't know why, but I did and it was wrong. I'm so sorry, El."

"It's okay, Mike."

"No," Mike interrupted. "It's not okay. It was a shitty thing for me to do and you had every right to break up with me. And honestly, I think Max is right, even if it kills me to admit that."

El chuckled weakly at him and Mike couldn't help but grin at her. 

"But, seriously, she's right, El. You don't need me holding you back from doing whatever you want with your life. That doesn't mean we don't care about each other, and I will always appreciate you and all of the memories we have together and that we will have, but I think you deserve to have a life separate from mine."

"But, won't you hurt?" El asked.

Mike shook his head slowly.

"It doesn't matter if I do, because I know you have to do what's best for you, El. You should do what you want, not want the rest of the world wants you to. Even if that means we're not together, that's okay. I just want you to be happy, El."

El considered him for several moments before she responded evenly.

"Promise you won't hurt, Mike?"

"I promise," Mike said, nodding.

"Then, I think we should just be friends. It's easier than being boyfriend and girlfriend."

Mike smiled.

"I won't argue with you there."

"But we'll always be friends."

"Yeah, always be friends," Mike repeated.

El nodded and smiled at him.

"Thank you for letting me choose," she said.

"It's what you deserve, El. You are your own person and I'm excited to see what you do with your life. There are so many possibilities."

"Friends," El said as she pulled Mike into a hug.

"Friends," Mike replied as he wrapped his arms around El and held her tightly for several seconds. He broke apart the hug and stood up from the bed. "And speaking of friends, there's one more friend I need to talk to."

El nodded in understanding.

"He wants to see you," she said simply. "You should see him now."

"I will," Mike said as he smiled at El again before bending down and giving her a kiss on the forehead. El blushed slightly at this, but grinned at Mike as he walked away from the bed and out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. 

Mike walked the short distance to Will's room. Since he was so tall, he reached the door in about three steps. Suddenly, he felt his heart rate increasing rapidly. He took several breaths to calm himself down before he knocked on the door.

"Will? Can I come in?"

"Yes," Will replied in a quiet voice.

Mike took one last deep breath before he opened the door. Will was sitting at his desk drawing. Seeing his best friend doing what he loved most brought warm feelings to Mike's chest and he couldn't help but smile slightly as he walked into the bedroom. Will didn't look up until Mike was sitting on the bed. 

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to see how you and everyone else was doing," Mike said. "I already talked to your Mom and El, but Jonathan is still at the grocery store, so I thought we could talk."

Will sighed as he stood up from his desk and walked over to the bed and sat down next to Mike. Both of them looked at their hands for several seconds before Mike piped up.

"So, how are you doing?"

"I should charge you money every time you ask me that question," Will said dryly.

Mike grinned weakly at him.

"I know you don't like people worrying about you, Will, but I can't help it. I worry about you just like I worry about everybody else."

"It's nice to know you care."

"So, are you doing okay, Will? Have you sensed the Mind Flayer at all since last week?"

Will shook his head.

"No, he hasn't been around. I think Mom killed Him when she shut that portal into the Upside Down."

Mike nodded wordlessly before he stared at his hands again. Will didn't say anything either. Tension filled the room quickly. Mike tried to search for the right words to say to tell Will everything that was on his mind. He couldn't decide where to start, so he decided to come right out with it.

"I'm sorry, Will," Mike said.

Will's eyes shot up, but he didn't say anything. He stared at Mike with pursed lips.

"I'm sorry about everything, Will. I'm sorry that Lucas and I kept blowing off your campaign. It was a really good story, I promise, and we should've just played the game with you. And I'm sorry that I've been neglecting you. I was so wrapped up in being in a relationship that I lost sight of what was more important: my friendship with you."

Will's facial expression softened slightly at this.

"Thank you for saying that, Mike."

"Wait, there's more. I'm sorry that I was such an asshole to you that night. I shouldn't have said all that stuff. I shouldn't have said that it wasn't my fault you didn't like girls. I didn't mean it, Will. I didn't mean to make you feel bad and I feel terrible that I did.

"I haven't been able to sleep at all for the last week and if I'm being honest, it has nothing to do with what happened at the mall. No, it's because I'm worried about you, Will. I'm worried that you hate me. And why shouldn't you? I've been a terrible friend and I hurt you badly. I'm disgusted and ashamed of myself, Will. I look in the mirror and I don't like what I see.

"So, I understand if you don't forgive me, Will. I mean, hell, why should you? I haven't done anything to deserve it. And I understand if you don't want to be friends with me anymore..."

Mike stopped talking as Will finally spoke up.

"You don't have to keep apologizing, Mike," he said quietly. Mike closed his mouth and simply looked into Will's eyes. "And of course I still want to be friends with you. You're my best friend, Mike. I'm not gonna throw away all of those years just because of one fight."

"I would deserve it if you did," Mike began, but again Will cut him off.

"It's okay, Mike. I forgive you. I wasn't being that good of a friend, either. I kept trying to push you to play DND, even though you kept telling me no. And I shouldn’t have said what I did about El."

"You had every right to."

"But I didn't have to say she was stupid or that your relationship was stupid," Will said. "And I could've been more supportive after you two broke up. I'm sorry, too, Mike."

Mike simply grinned at him.

"You're forgiven, Will. You'll always be the most important person in my life."

"Come here," Will said as he opened his arms. Mike leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Will, who held him tightly as they hugged. Both of them cried lightly, but they were tears of happiness. They held each other for several minutes, neither of them willing to break their embrace. It didn't feel awkward. Instead, it felt like both of them were home.

"Crazy together, Mikey," Will whispered into Mike's ear.

Mike chuckled appreciatively.

"Yeah. Crazy together, Willie." 


	2. Separations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will tells Mike the news about the Byers family moving away from Hawkins.

Will knocked on the door to the Wheeler home. Faster than he would have liked, Karen opened the door and smiled at him.

"Hi there, Will," Karen said pleasantly. "Come on in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wheeler," Will said politely as he stepped into the house. He noticed right away that Ted was asleep in his recliner, as he always seemed to be whenever Will came over to the house. Will smirked slightly, but hid it as Karen walked up to him after closing the door.

"Mike is down in the basement. I think he's taking a nap. You can go ahead and go on down."

"Thank you," Will repeated, giving Karen a smile. She smiled back before she turned and walked into the kitchen. Will walked over to the basement door and opened it. He walked down the stairs and his eyes were immediately drawn to the sofa, where Mike was peacefully dozing. Will carefully sat down next to Mike, which was difficult since Mike was taking up most of the sofa on his own. As soon as he was sitting, Mike's eyes opened.

"Oh hey Will," Mike said sleepily as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry I didn't greet you at the door. I guess I just fell asleep without meaning to."

"It's okay, Mike," Will said softly, trying to delay his reason for coming over as long as possible. Mike, though, seemed to have other thoughts on his mind.

"So, what's up? You said you had something important to tell me when you came over."

Will sighed. He scooted closer to Mike and grabbed onto one of Mike's hands, lacing their fingers together. Mike frowned at him in concern.

"Is something wrong?" Mike asked.

"Um, I just have some news and it's not that good. It's not horrible, but it means everything is gonna change."

"Will, what is it?"

"I...I just don't want you to get upset, Mike. And I want you to know none of this changes our friendship; we'll always be best friends."

"Of course we will be," Mike said hurriedly, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "But, seriously, Will. What's going on? You're making me nervous with all of this build-up." 

Mike chuckled lightly and Will tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace instead. Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he opened his eyes and looked directly into Mike's. He was briefly distracted by Mike's eyes, which were staring deeply into his own as if trying to read Will's mind.

"Okay," Will said shakily. He sighed again. "This isn't going to be easy to hear, Mike, and I just hope you're not too upset with what I'm going to tell you. So, here it is: Ever since the battle at Starcourt, Mom has been a mess. I know she told you that she was doing okay, but she's been pretty bad, Mike. She cries herself to sleep every night and I've walked in on her crying in the living room more than once."

Will swallowed before he continued.

"And that's why she's moving us out of Hawkins," Will said. He saw Mike's facial expression change slightly, but it looked like Mike hadn't quite digested what Will had just told him. "We're moving a couple of hours away into a bigger house. It's not for a couple of weeks, so we still have time to spend together and with The Party. But we are moving, Mike. I'm so sorry. I don't want to move, and I know Jonathan and El don't either, but Mom is insisting that we need to get away from the bad memories here. She's says there are too many in that house and in Hawkins that it doesn't feel like home anymore.

"I'm sorry, Mikey. I'm sure you're upset, but I want you to know that this doesn't change anything about us. I will always be your best friend and you will always be mine."

Will finally stopped speaking. Mike had barely flinched as he heard everything that Will told him. Mike broke eye contact with Will and instead stared at the coffee table in front of the sofa. Will could tell that Mike was upset, but trying not to show it. Mike's legs were shaking slightly and Will could see Mike was trembling softly.

"Mikey?" Will said gently.

Mike's eyes shot up and looked at Will again. Tears were swimming in his eyes. Mike gripped Will's hand tighter before he spoke.

"Oh, Willie," he said in a shaky voice. "I don't want to lose you again. I can't!"

Mike burst into tears. He buried his face in his hands as he sobbed. Will leaned over and pulled Mike closer to him. He held his best friend tightly as Mike sobbed. He whispered words of comfort into Mike's ears as Mike let it all out.

After several moments, Mike calmed down. He wiped away the freshest tears before he looked up at Will. Mike's lips trembled before he spoke.

"Will, I don't know how my life works without you in it," Mike confessed.

Will could swear he felt his heart flutter at Mike's words. He suddenly felt warm and cozy on the inside, just like he always did when Mike comforted him. Will tightened his hold on Mike, trying to reassure him without words, before he spoke again.

"Thank you for saying that, Mikey. That means a lot to me. God, you have no idea how much that means to me. You always make me feel complete, Mike, and I'm so scared of being away from you. I know I'm going to hate being away from you, but at least we're only going to be a few hours away, and we can visit each other all the time. And we can call each other every night or just on the weekends if that's too much."

"I don't think I could live with just talking to you on the weekends," Mike interrupted.

Will chuckled.

"Then we'll talk every night, Mike. And we'll always be best friends, Mike. No matter what. It doesn't matter if we're not together all the time, we'll always be best friends. You'll always be the most important person in my life, Mikey."

"And you will be for me, too, Willie."

Will smiled as he pulled Mike into another hug. They held onto each other tightly, both of them crying lightly into their embrace. Even though they still had a few weeks left together, they couldn't help but feel that the moment for them to be separated would be there faster than they wanted.

* * *

It was moving day. Mike and Will couldn't believe it. Ever since Will had told him that the Byers family was moving, the two of them had spent nearly every waking moment together. They spent the night at each other's houses so often that neither of them slept in their own bed for more than one night in a row for several weeks. They had hung out with the rest of The Party, too, spending hours together in the Wheeler basement talking, watching movies and playing games. Mike and Will slept by each other every night during the weeks leading up to moving day and nearly always woke up still holding hands. 

When Will had put his D&D things into the donation box, Mike protested. Will reassured him, saying that he could just borrow Mike's whenever he came to visit. Mike hesitantly asked Will what if he wanted to join another party. Will simply smiled and said, "Not possible," which made Mike's heart soar. He smiled back at Will and the two simply looked at each other happily before Will returned to finish in his room. 

Soon, everything was packed away into the Uhaul and into Jonathan's car. Everyone stood outside of the Byers home. Tears started to fall as everyone began hugging the family. Joyce thanked each of the kids for being there for the family and told them she would always love them. Jonathan and Nancy were practically glued to each other, neither of them wanting to break apart.

Mike didn't start crying until Will broke his hug with Max and turned to face him. As soon as he saw Will's face, Mike's eyes welled up into tears. Before saying anything, he quickly pulled Will into a hug and wrapped his arms around him. Will started crying, too, and held onto Mike just as tightly. They held each other for several minutes while El was hugging everyone else. Mike seemed unable or unwilling to let go of Will, much to Will's amusement. 

After several minutes had passed, Will chuckled softly.

"I think we have to let go now, Mikey," he whispered.

"I know, but I hate it," Mike replied as he broke the hug. Mike held onto Will as he if were a lifeline and pressed their foreheads together  as more tears fell down his cheeks. "Promise me something, Willie."

"Anything."

"Promise me that you'll take care of yourself out there. And promise me that you'll call me if you ever need anything, no matter what time of day or night it is. I don't care, I just want to be able to help you even though I'm not with you."

"I promise, Mikey."

Mike pulled Will into another hug and held him tightly for several seconds before they finally let go of each other. He impatiently wiped away some tears as he pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to Will.

"What's this?" Will asked, frowning slightly.

"Uh, it's a present for you. Nothing too big or anything, but I want you to have it. But don't open it until you're out of town, okay? It's just something for you to always remember me."

"Thank you, Mike," Will whispered as he stepped on his tiptoes and gave Mike a kiss on the cheek. Mike blushed slightly at this, but his smile grew wider. Mike cupped Will's cheeks and bent down to give Will a kiss on the forehead.

"Crazy together, Will."

"Crazy together, Mike."

* * *

Will stared out of the passenger side window during the whole journey out of Hawkins. He and Jonathan didn't say anything to each other, both of them lost in their own thoughts and feelings. Will was crying slightly to himself, but felt better knowing that he had gotten the proper goodbye with Mike that he had wanted.

When Jonathan drove past the sign that read, "Leaving Hawkins, come again!" Will finally looked away from the scenery surrounding them and turned his attention to the small box. 

Will opened it quickly and pulled out Mike's watch. Will chuckled to himself, not believing that he hadn't noticed that Mike wasn't wearing the watch when they said their goodbyes to each other. Will also pulled out a small piece of paper that had Mike's messy handwriting scribbled on it.

_ This way you'll always have a part of me with you.  _

_ Best friends forever and always going crazy together, Will.  _

_ -Mike _

Will smiled at Mike's note as more tears welled up in his eyes. He gripped the note and the watch tightly in his hands and brought both of them close to his chest, just above his heart. Although his heart was hurting, knowing that a part of Mike would always be with him seemed to heal the invisible wound. Of course Mike had thought of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the Byers family moves away in this, but I changed it up to focus on Mike and Will, which is what the Duffer brothers should have done!
> 
> I hope you're enjoying this story! I'm overwhelmed by how many people have read the story, commented on it and left kudos. Your support means the world to me!
> 
> The next chapter will a little longer and will focus on how everyone is coping with the Byers family being gone, in particular with how it affects Mike. The boys will get their reunion and some truths will come out that will shock Will and leave him feeling closer to Mike than he thought was possible. Stay tuned!


	3. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Byers family returns to Hawkins for Christmas. It's the first time they've been back and they learn how Mike has handled them being gone.
> 
> Content/trigger warning for thoughts of suicide.

Will hurried to the phone, nearly knocking over El in his hurry.

"Sorry, El!" Will shouted as he reached the phone and picked it up from the receiver.

"Hello?" Will said in the same excited tone.

"Wow, I think that's a record on how quickly you've answered the phone," Mike said in a teasing tone. "The second ring wasn't even done yet."

"Well, pardon me if I'm excited to see you tomorrow!" Will replied, grinning at El, Jonathan and Joyce, who were still sitting at the dining table.

"I'm excited to see you, too! It's gonna be great. You, me and El can sleep in the basement while you're in town, and the rest of The Party is coming over tomorrow to spend the night, too, so it'll be just like old times! We'll play D&D, watch movies until midnight, talk about what's been happening and probably go to sleep way later than we should!"

Will couldn't help but smile widely at Mike's enthusiasm. Even though he couldn't see Mike, Will knew that Mike's face had to be lit up like a Christmas tree as he told Will what he wanted to do while the Byers family was in town. Will could picture Mike's smile and it brought warm feelings to his heart. He had missed seeing Mike's smile ever since they moved. He had missed seeing Mike's big, beautiful eyes that lit up whenever he was excited. Hell, Will just missed Mike. He missed the rest of The Party, too, but Mike was special: his best friend and the one person in the world Will knew he loved more than a friend.

"I'm so excited to see you!" Will exclaimed. "And I know El is too! We're gonna have a lot of fun, Mikey. It's gonna be the best Christmas and New Year's ever!"

"Hell yeah!" Mike yelled and Will could picture Mike punching the air as he said it and snorted.

"Please tell me you just punched the air."

"You know me too well, Byers," Mike replied nonchalantly. 

Will giggled.

"Yeah, I do. Listen, we're still having dinner, so I'd better get off before Mom comes over here and throws the phone in the trash!"

"Shit, I didn't know you were eating, you should've said something!"

"It's fine," Will said. He lowered the phone from his ear and held the receiver as far as his arm would stretch. "Here, say hi to everyone real quick!"

"Hey everyone!" Mike said happily. The others could barely hear him, but they appreciated Will's effort all the same.

"Hi Mike!" the three of them shouted toward the receiver.

"I can't wait to see you all tomorrow! Don't drive like a grandma now, Mrs. Byers!"

"Hey!" Joyce said with a mock tone of hurt on her face. "I can drive pretty fast, I'll have you know, Michael Wheeler."

"Well, I'll believe that when you guys show up on time tomorrow!"

" _ Haha _ ," Joyce laughed sarcastically, but Will could see a smile on her face. "We'll see you tomorrow, Mike."

"See you guys tomorrow!"

Will held the receiver up to his ear again.

"I'll see you soon, Mikey. I'll call you before we leave, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. See you tomorrow, Willie."

"Bye, Mike," Will said, hanging up the phone. He walked back to the dining table with a goofy grin on his face. Jonathan and El both gave him a knowing look as he sat down.

"What?" Will asked.

"Oh, nothing," Jonathan said with an air of mischief.

Will glanced at El, who was smiling at Will.

"What? I'm just excited to see him."

"I know," El replied quietly. "Me too." 

"Will, you'd better eat your food before it gets cold," Joyce said. "You still have some packing to do, young man."

"Yeah, yeah," Will said, rolling his eyes and picking up his fork.

Will hurriedly finished his dinner and helped Jonathan put the dishes away in the dishwasher before he went to his bedroom to finish packing. His suitcase was already packed, but he had some knick-knacks he wanted to put into his backpack. When he was finished, Will heard the phone ring again, but since he had already talked to Mike, he ignored it and lined his suitcase and backpack up next to his bedroom door. 

There was a knock at the door just as he started to walk over his desk to finish drawing Mike's Christmas present. 

"Yeah?" Will called.

"Hey, the phone is for you," El said. "It's Dustin."

"Oh, thanks, El," Will said as he stood up and walked across his room and opened the door. El smiled at him before she turned and walked toward her bedroom. Will walked over to the phone, which was set on the kitchen counter. Will picked it up.

"Dustin?"

"Hey, Will, glad to hear your voice, buddy!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's good to hear your voice, too. What's up? Are you not able to make it tomorrow night?"

"Oh, hell no, I'm gonna be there. I have to be there, dude. I can't wait to see you and El!"

Will chuckled.

"Well I'm glad I get to see you and everyone else in less than 24 hours."

"Yeah, me too," Dustin's voice trailed off like he was hesitating to tell Will something.

"What's up, Dustin?"

"Um, have you talked to Mike?"

"Yeah, of course. We talk on the phone every night and he called just a little bit ago while we were having dinner."

"Has he sounded okay to you?"

Will frowned. 

"I mean, he's sounded pretty normal every time we've talked and he's been excited ever since I told him that we were coming for Christmas. Why? Is something wrong?"

"I...uh," Dustin hesitated again, taking a deep sigh. "It's just that Mike hasn't been himself lately, Will. Actually, scratch that, he hasn't been the same since you guys moved."

"What are you talking about?" Will said as he felt his heart rate picking up slightly.

"Mike has been super withdrawn since you left. I mean, I kinda expected him to be quiet and not happy that you guys aren't around, but I didn't expect it to be this bad."

"What do you mean, Dustin? Has he said something?"

"No and that's what really worries me, man. It's like Mike isn't himself anymore. He barely talks to us at school and when he does, it's always with a flat voice, like with no emotion. And not that I'm offended or anything, but he hasn't laughed like at all since you left, not even at my jokes. Shit, Will, I don't even think I've seen him smile since you guys moved."

Will cupped his hand to his mouth. Mike had always sounded happy and normal when they talked on the phone every night, and El had said she could sense he sounded normal to her, too. But if what Dustin was saying was true, than maybe Mike wasn't handling the move as well as they thought.

"Have you tried talking to him?"

Dustin scoffed.

"Yeah and that's gone over pretty well. He dances around the subject before he changes it and moves on, or he just doesn't say anything. I'm really worried about him, Will."

"Maybe I can talk to him when we get some time alone," Will said. "This way he can talk to me without having anyone else around. He'll talk to me, Dustin. I might have to push him, but he'll talk."

"Yeah, I think that's the best idea. Look, Will, I didn't mean to upset you or anything. I just thought you should know before you came here in case he doesn't seem normal to you."

"No, I get it, Dustin. And thank you for telling me. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Will." 

* * *

The front door to the Wheeler opened and there stood Mike, beaming at the Byers family.

"Hi everyone!" Mike said breathlessly.

"Hi, Mike!" Joyce said happily as she hugged him before stepping into this house. "It is so good to see you again. Are your parents inside?"

"Yeah, Mom's in the kitchen. Dad is out of town for work, but he should be back for Christmas." Mike replied as he hugged Jonathan.

"Great, I'll go and say hello to her," said Joyce. "It's so wonderful of them to put up with all of us while we're here."

"They're happy to do it. And Nancy will be here later," Mike added as Jonathan stepped into the house beside Joyce. 

Mike turned to face El and Will, looking happier than they had ever seen him. El rushed forward first, pulling Mike into a hug and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi," she said breathlessly as she beamed at Mike.

"Hi," Mike replied. "It's so good to see you. Come inside, come inside."

El nodded at him as she picked up her bag and entered the home. Finally, Mike turned to look at Will. They simply stared at each other in silence for several seconds before they practically leapt on each other. Mike pulled Will into a bear hug and started to cry happy tears.

"Oh, Willie, I can't tell you how amazing it is to see you," Mike said. "Hi!"

"Hi, Mikey," Will replied as he grinned and held onto Mike just as tightly as Mike was holding him. He didn't care that it was chilly out and that he was starting to feel cold. Mike's body heat was enough for him. 

After several moments of them hugging, Karen shouted from the living room.

"Michael! Shut the door! You're letting all the heat out of the house!"

Mike blushed as he broke the hug. Will smiled at him and followed Mike into the house. Mike shut the door and led Will through the living room and toward the basement door. Joyce and Jonathan were chatting with Karen in the kitchen, while El was waiting for Mike and Will by the basement. They walked down the stairs together and saw that Mike had already rearranged all of the furniture for a Party Sleepover. 

Will and El put their bags down before walking with Mike over to the sofa. Mike sat in between them and wrapped his arms around them.

"God, I've missed you guys so much," Mike said. 

Will smiled at him.

"We missed you, too, Mikey," he replied. "Even if we do get to talk to you every night. It's not the same as being with you."

"How have you been?" El asked. Will froze. He had told El what Dustin had reported to him on the phone, and assured El that he would talk to Mike. Will attempted to catch El's eye to wordlessly call her off, but it was to no avail.

"I've been all right," Mike said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's weird without you guys here all the time, but things are pretty normal, I guess. Just the same old, same old without you guys here."

Will saw Mike's face drop slightly at this. He leaned into Mike's grasp a little bit and noticed Mike's expression softened. 

"I'm just glad you guys are here now and that we're gonna have a week and a half together!"

The three of them spent the next few hours catching up. Karen served them hot chocolate at one point, but they were left alone otherwise. By the time dinner rolled around, the rest of The Party had shown up and they all spent several minutes happily greeting Will, El and Jonathan before the adults sat down at the dining table while The Party occupied the basement. 

After dinner, The Party stayed in the basement, catching up on what was going on in their lives. Max had joined the debate team and was happy to announce she had won every debate at competitions so far this year. Lucas was thinking about joining the basketball team, but wasn't sure yet. Dustin was still dating Suzie, and her family had visited at Thanksgiving. According to him, the meeting between their families had gone well and it seemed like there as a good chance Suzie would get to come visit for a week the following summer. Mike had kept himself busy with schoolwork and hadn't dated anyone else. Will felt his heart leap when Mike announced this. El had gotten caught up on all of her schoolwork with Joyce and was attending classes at her and Will's new school and loving it. And Will, he had stayed focused on his art and remembering to do things that brought him joy and kept him calm when things became too much. 

When everyone else was talking, Will managed to get Dustin on his own and spoke to him in a low voice so that nobody else would hear them.

"He seems pretty normal," Will whispered. "Don't you think?"

Dustin shrugged.

"I mean, I guess so, but I think Mike is trying to avoid showing us how he's really been feeling. This is the most normal I've seen him in months, but he still doesn't quite seem himself."

Will looked over at Mike, who was listening intently to something that Max was saying. Suddenly, Will could see what Dustin was talking about. Mike's expression didn't look as full as it usually did. It was like something was missing from him that Will couldn't quite figure out. Will also noticed that when Mike smiled or laughed, it almost seemed forced and it didn't last long before Mike would go back to having a neutral expression on his face. 

Will tried to catch Mike's gaze several times throughout the evening, but every time he did, Mike simply smiled at him like he normally did, and Will couldn't help but feel that maybe Dustin was wrong. Still, he couldn't shake seeing Mike's face whenever he wasn't looking at Will. Something was definitely going on, but he didn't know what. 

By midnight, everyone had started yawning, so they all spread out their sleeping bags throughout the basement before they changed into more comfortable clothing. One by one, they slowly drifted off to sleep until Mike and Will were the only ones awake. Their sleeping bags were right next to each other and their faces were practically touching as they looked at each other, smiling in a comfortable silence. To Will, Mike looked just as he always did, which made Will feel a little bit better. Mike grabbed onto Will's hand and laced their fingers together.

"I'm so glad you're here," Mike whispered just loud enough for Will to hear.

"Me too, Mikey. It's been too long."

"Yeah, too long, Willie."

Will closed his eyes and felt the sleep take over him quickly and he fell into a blissful rest.

* * *

Will woke with a start. Right away, he knew something was wrong. Mike wasn't holding his hand any more; he wasn't even lying next to Will like he had when Will had fallen asleep. Will quickly sat up in his sleeping bag, trying to make as little noise as possible. To his relief, he noticed everyone else was still sleeping soundly in their sleeping bags; Dustin's snoring was as loud as it always was. Will snorted to himself when he realized this and stood up carefully. He walked through the basement and over to the stairs. He quietly walked up the stairs and into the first level of the house. The light was off in the first floor bathroom, so Will knew that Mike wasn't in there. 

Frowning, Will walked up the stairs to the second floor. It was as if Will was a magnet being drawn to Mike's bedroom door. As soon as he was on the top floor, Will could hear someone crying. He knew that sound instantly: it was Mike. Will hurried over to Mike's room and pushed the door open. Mike was sitting on his bed with his hands buried in his face as he was sobbing. Will was surprised Mike hadn't woken anyone else up with how loudly he was crying. Will shoved himself into the room and shut the door behind him before he crossed Mike's bedroom and sat down on the bed.

"What's going on, Mikey?" Will asked.

Mike froze as if he had just realized that Will had walked into the room. His crying stopped briefly, but Will could see he was trembling. Mike looked at Will with tears in his eyes. Will instinctively wrapped his arms around Mike, feeling his heart break for his best friend.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

This must've been the wrong thing for Will to say as Mike burst into fresh tears. Mike leaned into Will's embrace and sobbed into his shoulder. Will could tell that Mike was trying to be quiet for the sake of the others on the second floor. Will rubbed Mike's back soothingly and whispered words of comfort into his ear as Mike let it all out. It took several minutes, but eventually Mike's sobbing subsided and he simply cried tears. Will broke the hug, but kept his arms wrapped around Mike as he looked Mike in the eyes.

"What's going on, Mikey?"

Mike shook his head.

"Please, tell me. You know you can tell me anything."

"I can't, Will," Mike whispered as more tears fell down his face. "I don't want to be a burden."

"Hey," Will said as he reached across with one hand and lifted Mike's chin. "You are not a burden, Mike, especially not to me. You can tell me what's going on, what's hurting you, okay? I need to know what's going on, Mikey. I've been worried about you."

Mike froze again and his eyes widened in shock.

"Why would you be worried about me?"

"Dustin told me that you haven't been yourself lately," Will explained. "And to be honest, I could see it tonight. You didn't seem like your normal self tonight, Mike. I could tell something is going on, but I don't know what it is. Do you think you could tell me?"

Mike sighed deeply. Will could tell Mike was wrestling with himself on whether to tell Will what was on his mind. Finally, Mike looked up at him again, with more tears swimming in his eyes.

"It's too much, Will," he said. "My life is incomplete without you. I feel so lost without you here, Will. I hate saying that because it sounds like it's your fault, but it's not, Will, it's not. It's so stupid that I feel this way."

"Mike, your feelings are not stupid," Will interrupted. "You hear me?"

Mike sniffled as he nodded.

"I just....I haven't been okay since you left, Will. I cry myself to sleep every night. And I wake up in the middle of the night scared that you're gone forever, even though I know you're just a couple of hours away. But it scares me every time, Will. Even though I knew you were right next to me, I still felt like I had lost you again."

"Oh, Mikey, I'm so sorry," Will said as he leaned forward and pulled Mike into another hug. "I had no idea you felt this way. I'm sorry."

"There's more," Mike said as he broke the hug. "I'm scared of telling you because I don't want you to worry too much about me."

"Tell me, Mike," Will pleaded. "Please. I need to hear it. You don't have to carry this around all by yourself."

Mike sighed.

"Sometimes...sometimes the pain I feel in my heart is so much that I just want to die, Will."

Will felt his heart crumble into pieces. Mike Wheeler,  _ his  _ Mike Wheeler, felt like he just wanted to die. It couldn't be. Will saw Mike start to tremble again and Will pulled Mike as close as possible to him and held him tightly as Mike dissolved into fresh sobs.

"Oh, Mikey, Mikey, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Please don't ever hurt yourself. I can't live without you."

"I can't live without you either," Mike confessed. "And that's why I've forced myself to keep going, even if I wished it would all just stop so I don't have to feel the pain anymore." 

"Oh, Mike," was all Will could say before he burst into tears, too. The two boys cried as they held onto each other. They cried until they weren't able to anymore. Slowly, Will guided Mike to lay down with him on the bed, while keeping his arms wrapped around Mike. Will adjusted their bodies until they were both comfortable and he held Mike close until both of them stopped crying.

"I'm sorry," Mike said as he wiped away the last of his tears. "I don't want you to think like this is on you."

"Shh, it's okay, Mike," Will said. "I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway: have you told anyone else?"

Mike shook his head. 

"I've been too ashamed, Will. I don't want anyone to think any less of me, so I haven't told anyone. Not even Mom or Nancy."

"Mikey, you know keeping something locked inside like this isn't good for you," Will chided. "But I understand why. I'm just glad you could tell me."

"It's because I trust you, Will. You're the person I trust the most in my life."

Will nodded as he leaned forward to give Mike a kiss on the forehead. 

"You don't have to feel shame for how you feel, Mike, okay? And I want you to know you're not alone. I will always be there to talk to you about this, Mike, even when I'm not here. You can always call me, no matter what time it is and I'll be there for you, okay?"

Mike nodded.

"Thanks, Willie." 

"And listen, Mike, have you thought about telling the others?"

Mike sighed.

"I don't know. I don't want them to worry too much about me."

"Hey, you're not being a burden, Mike. We're your friends, your  _ family _ . It's our job to take care of you just like you always take care of us. And I promise you, Mike, I will be there with you the whole time. You won't be alone if you decide to tell everyone."

"Do you think I should?"

"I think you have to make the choice, Mike. But yes, I think you should tell everyone. This way they at least know why you haven't been yourself lately. I mean, if Dustin can see it, I bet Lucas and Max do, too. And friends don't lie, Mike."

Mike chuckled weakly.

"Yeah, I guess that's true," he said. "Okay. I'll tell them tomorrow. We'll call a Party meeting and I'll tell them then. And I'll make sure Mom and Nancy are there, too. They need to know."

"I'm proud of you, Mike," Will said as he cupped Mike's cheek and smiled at him. "I want you to feel safe at all times, okay?" Mike nodded. "Do you think you can get some sleep now?"

"Stay," Mike begged.

"I'm not going anywhere," Will said as he pulled Mike impossible closer. He held Mike tightly and threw the blanket over both of them before he looked Mike in the eyes again.

"I love you, Willie," Mike said.

"I love you, too, Mikey," Will replied. 

Mike grinned at him and leaned a little closer, hesitating slightly. Will closed the gap between them and they kissed. Will felt his heart repair itself as Mike kissed him, and he could feel his whole body warming up. There were no fireworks or bells ringing in the background, but he could feel every emotion Mike was feeling, and he knew that love dominated the others. Will smiled into the kiss before Mike drew away from him. Will opened his eyes and saw Mike had fallen asleep. He smiled to himself as he pulled Mike closer so Mike was laying on his chest. Will closed his eyes and fell asleep in seconds. 

* * *

Mike stood up in his living room. The Party, his Mother, Nancy, Jonathan and Joyce were all sitting around the living room, looking at him with confused expressions on their faces. Will nodded at Mike encouragingly when they caught each other's eyes and that was the inspiration Mike needed to start talking.

"Hi everyone," he said in a somewhat shaky voice. "I, uh....really needed to talk to you all about this. But before I do, I want all of you to know that nobody is at fault for this. I don't blame any of you for how I've been feeling lately, so please don't blame yourselves for it, okay?"

Everyone nodded tentatively at him, while Will smiled at him.

"What's going on, Michael?" Karen asked in a soft voice. "Is everything okay?"

"Um, it will be," Mike said, nodding. He took a deep breath. "Okay, here goes. First, I need to apologize to you all for how distant I've been lately. I know you're probably worried about me and that's okay. Even though I feel like a burden telling you all this, you all deserve to know.

"Ever since the Byers family moved away, I haven't been okay," Mike continued with more confidence. He repeated everything that he had told Will the night before. As expected, everyone's facial expressions changed to sympathetic ones. However, he was not prepared for their reaction when he told them that he sometimes felt like dying.

Dustin and Lucas both opened their mouths in identical looks of shock. Max cupped her mouth as tears started to swim in her eyes. El simply stared at Mike as she started to cry. Nancy gripped Jonathan's hand tighter and Jonathan put his other hand on top of hers. Joyce gasped and started to cry lightly. Karen, though, looked the most shocked out of all of them. She didn't say anything, but Mike could see the pain in her eyes, which made him feel guilty.

"I'm sorry, everyone," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to upset you or anything, but I needed to tell you how I feel. I can't keep facing these feelings on my own anymore, and if you guys are willing, I could use any help I can get."

"Of course we're gonna help you, Mike," Max said tearfully as she leapt up and pulled Mike into a hug. 

"Yeah, friends always help friends, Mike," added Lucas as he joined the hug.

"You shouldn't have to face this on your own," said Dustin.

"We'll help you however we can," El said.

"Crazy together," Will said just loud enough for Mike to hear him. 

The Party hugged each other tightly for several minutes, all of them crying. Finally, they broke apart and Mike looked at Nancy, who had been crying into Jonathan's shoulder. Mike hurried over to her and hugged her tightly. He repeated the gesture with Jonathan before he turned to Joyce. 

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry," Joyce said as she hugged Mike. "I wish there was more I could do."

"Just be here as much as you can," Mike whispered back. 

They broke their hug and Mike turned to face Karen, who still hadn't said anything. Mike walked closer to her and stopped when he was in front of her. They simply stared at each other for a few seconds before Karen was on her feet and hugging Mike tighter than she ever had before, sobbing hysterically.

"I love you so much, Michael," she whispered. "I'm so sorry I didn't know. I should've known!"

"Hey, it's okay, Mom," Mike said through his own tears. "You know now. That's all that matters."

Karen sobbed into Mike's shoulder as she nodded. 

* * *

Joyce sat down on the dining table, placing a mug of hot tea next to Karen, who was sitting down staring off into the distance as she was lost in her own thoughts. The kids had all gone to bed in the basement, except for Mike and Will, who were upstairs in Mike's room. It had been two hours since Mike had confessed everything to them and Joyce could see that Karen was still feeling numb about the whole thing.

"Are you all right?" Joyce asked gently.

Karen sniffled as she looked up from her trance. Tears were swimming in her eyes. Joyce had never seen Karen look so broken before and felt a rush of sympathy for the other mother.

"God, why did I ask that? Of course you're not okay. I'm sorry, Karen."

"How could I miss this, Joyce?" Karen asked as she took a quick sip of her tea. "How could I not know how he was feeling?"

"Hey, I get it," Joyce said. "But you know how kids are, Karen. They like to keep secrets, no matter how much we tell them they shouldn't. Mike is no exception."

"I should've known, though. I'm his mother and I couldn't see how much he was hurting. I should've known, Joyce. I should've known!"

Karen burst into tears and put her head down on the table. Joyce reached over and gently rubbed Karen's arm as Karen sobbed. It was several minutes before Karen stopped crying and lifted her head again. Joyce let go of her arm when Karen sat up.

"God, I must look so pathetic," Karen said as she picked up a napkin next to her and blew her nose.

"You look like how any mother would if they had just found out their child was holding all of that in," Joyce replied calmly. "It's okay to feel how you do."

Karen sighed.

"I'm a terrible mother for letting it get this bad."

"Hey, you are not a terrible mother, Karen," Joyce said. "I may not agree with everything you do about your kids, but I know that you do what you do because you love your kids. That's all I can ask of you. That's all anyone can ask of you. And you're not a terrible mother just because your son kept such a huge secret from you and didn't tell you about it, okay? You're a wonderful mother, Karen. And Mike is going to be just fine as long as you're here to help him."

Karen wiped away fresh tears as she nodded.

"Thank you, Joyce. I'm just glad Ted wasn't here to hear this. He probably would've been as useful as a cat at a dog show."

Joyce chuckled at Karen's joke while Karen attempted to smile at it. 

"Anyway, it's pretty late and we should probably get to sleep," Karen said. "I've got some laundry to finish up, but you go on up to the guest room, all right?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Joyce asked.

"I'm fine," Karen replied, giving Joyce a smile. "Thank you for talking me through all of this. I guess I just needed to get all of that off my chest."

Joyce nodded.

"If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me or to call me," she said as she stood up. Karen nodded at her before Joyce turned to walk out of the dining room and up the stairs to the second floor. She paused when she was outside Mike's room. Hesitantly, Joyce pushed the door open quietly.

Mike and Will were both fast asleep in Mike's bed. Will was holding Mike tightly. Mike's head was resting on Will's chest and he looked peaceful. Joyce sighed to herself slightly as an idea formed in her mind. She smiled at the boy's sleeping forms before she stepped away and shut the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. This was probably the most emotional chapter I've ever written. I usually disassociate when I'm writing, but I could still feel the emotions pouring through me as I wrote this. And when I did my read through of the chapter, I felt myself tearing up during certain parts.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have an idea for a fourth chapter starting to brew in my mind, so stay tuned for more. There could even be more after that potential next chapter.
> 
> Let me know what you thought!


	4. Christmas Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Party celebrates Christmas together with a Secret Santa gift exchange. Meanwhile, Will has some questions that he needs answered from Mike. And Joyce has a surprise for the boys.

"All right, guys, let's open presents!" Will exclaimed happily, getting cheers from Dustin and Lucas.

It was Christmas Eve and The Party had gathered at Mike's house for a Secret Santa gift exchange, among other fun activities. They had drawn names for each other on the first night Will and El were in town and only had four days to get the gifts ready. At Will's suggestion, The Party gathered around the coffee table in the basement, which held all of the gifts. Mike grabbed a can that contained small pieces of paper with everyone's name on it to draw the name of who would open their gift first. 

"All right, so whoever got the first person's gift gets to open after them. If they got each other gifts, we'll draw names again," Mike explained.

"We know, Mike!" Dustin exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, hurry up and pick a name," added Max, grinning at Mike.

"All right, all right."

Mike shook the can around to shuffle the pieces of paper in it. After several seconds, he reached inside and pulled out a name.

"Drum roll please," Mike said dramatically.

Max rolled her eyes as Dustin enthusiastically did a drop roll on the edge of the coffee table before Mike finally read out the first name.

"And the winner is...Lucas!"

"All right!" Lucas exclaimed as he reached forward and grabbed the gift bag with his name on it. He tore into the wrapping paper and pulled out a cleaning kit for slingshots. "Hell yeah! The Wrist Rocket could definitely use a cleaning."

He set down the kit and glanced around at everyone, trying to guess who his Secret Santa was. Nobody was giving it away with their facial expressions, so Lucas chose at random.

"Uh....Mike?" he said uncertainly.

Mike shook his head while Dustin laughed.

"Nope, it was me!" Dustin said happily as he reached for the gift wrapped for him. It was neatly wrapped, which told everyone that it was either from one of the girls, or one of the boys' moms had wrapped the paper. Dustin ripped the paper off his gift and held it up. 

"What is it?" asked Will excitedly.

"Looks like it's an updated creature list for Dungeons and Dragons," Dustin said as he read the back of the book. "It just came out, too! Damn, this is cool! Um, I'll guess Will since you're definitely still all about DND."

Will shook his head.

"Believe it or not, it was me," said Lucas.

Dustin chuckled and gave Lucas a high five while Mike picked the can back up and gave it a shuffle before drawing out another name.

"Max, it's your turn," Mike said.

"Excellent," Max said as she reached over and grabbed her gift. It was in a rather large bag, which made her feel excited. She threw all of the tissue paper out of the bag before she reached inside and pulled out a large red helmet that had "Zoomer" written across the center of it.

"This is badass!" Max exclaimed as she threw the helmet on her head. "It fits perfectly! Man, this is sweet! Uh, I'll guess El."

"Nope, that would be me, if you can believe it," Mike said, giving Max a smile. 

Max's face softened.

"Even though there's no such thing as a Zoomer in DND?" she asked, unable to help herself.

Everyone laughed while Mike chuckled appreciatively. 

"Well, you're our Zoomer, Max. Always."

"Thanks, Mike. I really appreciate it," Max said as she crawled over and gave Mike a hug.

"I'm glad you like it," Mike said before he reached across the coffee table and grabbed his gift. Inside were three action figures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo. 

"Wow, I love them!" Mike exclaimed. He glanced around at Will, El and Max. The girls both had blank expressions on their faces, but Will was blushing slightly. Mike grinned when he saw that.

"It was you, wasn't it, Will?" Mike asked.

Will's blush deepened.

"Do you like them?"

"I said I did, didn't I?" Mike said with a laugh as he pulled Will in for a hug. "Thanks, Will! I'll put them on my desk so they can kinda be my brainstorming helpers!"

Will smiled at this while everyone else rolled their eyes slightly before Will grabbed one of the two remaining gifts. He ripped the wrapping paper off the present and examined his new coloring set.

"Wow," Will said breathlessly. "This is incredible. I'd say it was Mike if he hadn't gotten Max's gift. So, I guess it has to be El since you haven't opened a gift yet and everyone else is taken."

El smiled and nodded at him.

"I know how much you needed a new coloring set," El said happily. "And with Mike's help, I found this one."

Will turned to look at Mike, who was looking away from him.

"You helped?" Will asked.

Mike nodded shyly.

"Thanks," Will said as he gave Mike a quick hug. "Okay, El, now it's your turn!"

El grinned as she pulled the last gift toward her. She opened it and inside was a white box that was used to hold clothing. She opened the box and pulled out a flowery dress, similar to the other she had gotten at the Starcourt Mall in the summer, but with lavender flowers on it.

"Oooooh, this is pretty!" El exclaimed. "And I guess you got it, Max?"

Max nodded.

"Yep, I thought it would go well with the other dress. I hope you like it."

"I love it!"

* * *

Will looked up when Mike walked into the bedroom, fresh from taking a shower and brushing his teeth. Mike was wearing his Star Wars pajamas and Will was surprised to see that they still fit Mike. Will scooted over so Mike could down next to him on the bed. 

"Everything okay?" Mike asked, frowning at Will.

Will let out a reluctant chuckle.

"Am I that transparent?"

"It's just you have a tense look on your face, like something is on your mind."

"Yeah, there is something I want to talk to you about, Mike."

"Are you okay, Will?" Mike asked as he scooted closer to Will.

Will smiled lightly.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Mikey. I just..." he looked up into Mike's eyes and saw nothing but concern in his friend's eyes. He sighed. "I just want to know what we are after the last few days, with all of the snuggling and kissing we've done. I mean, I know you said you loved me, Mike, but did you just mean as a friend? Because I'm okay with that if that's all you want, but it's more complicated than that with me, Mike. Because I  _ do  _ love you like that, Mike. I have for a long time. And I understand if you don't, but I can't just be someone you're experimenting with. I don't want to get hurt, Mike."

"Hey, hey," Mike said as he wrapped his arms around Will and pulled him into a hug. Will had started to cry as he said everything to Mike and he felt some of the tension melt away as he leaned into Mike's embrace. Will cried for a few moments while Mike rubbed his back before he sat up again and looked at Mike.

"I'm sorry, Mike, I just have to know what we are now. Are we best friends or are we more than that? I can't stand not knowing, and I just need you to be honest with me."

"I know, Will," Mike whispered as he reached over and held one of Will's hands, lacing their fingers together. "I promise you I'm not just trying to use you. I meant it when I told you I love you, Will. I love you so much. I've been confused about my feelings for a while, but I know in my heart that I love you."

"What about El?" Will asked, unable to help himself. "Didn't you love her? That didn't end well, did it?"

"No, it didn't, Mike said, nodding. "You're right. I did love her, Will. Hell, I still do, but it's different. I love her like a sister. With you, it's like you always complete me, Will. You make me a better person and when we're together, I feel whole. I think I've known for a while, but I didn't know for sure until you weren't around anymore. I think that's why I've been so depressed lately, because you and I were apart."

Will gripped Mike's hand a little tighter as he wiped away some tears impatiently.

"Shit, I didn't mean like it was your fault I've been depressed," Mike said hurriedly. "Sorry. I just...I think us being away from each other showed me how much you mean to me, Will, and just how much I love you."

"I understand, Mike," Will said gently. "You don't have to apologize. If anything, I'm too busy being happy that you love me, too, in the same way I love you. I've loved you for so long, Mikey. I can't believe you feel the same way."

Mike pulled Will in for a hug and they held each other tightly for several seconds.

"How long?" Mike asked when he broke the hug.

"I don't know when, but it's definitely been for years."

"Years?"

Will nodded.

"Oh, Willie. I'm sorry that I didn't see it sooner." Mike's eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. "Shit, if you've known for years that means you knew when we had our fight. Fuck. Will, I'm so sorry. God, how could I do that..."

"Shhhh," Will said as he put a finger on Mike's lips to silence him. "You've already apologized for that and I forgave you a long time ago. It's okay, Mike. Knowing that you love me is enough to make everything bad in my life go away."

"Oh, Willie," Mike said as he pulled Will in for another hug. This one lasted much longer, with both of the boys crying lightly as they held each other. Eventually, they were laying down on the bed and fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

"Hey guys, can I talk to you privately for a minute?" Joyce asked Mike and Will, who were sitting next to each other on the Wheeler family's loveseat. 

It was Christmas Day and everyone had finished opening their presents nearly an hour before. Karen was in the kitchen with Jonathan and Nancy preparing lunch while Ted was snoozing in his recliner as Holly played with all of her new toys. 

"Yeah, of course," Mike said, standing up with Will. He led them upstairs to his room. Joyce shut the door behind them as the boys sat down on the bed before she pulled over the chair at Mike's desk and set it in front of the boys.

"What's up, Mom?" Will asked.

Joyce sighed before she answered.

"I already talked to Jonathan and El about this and they're both on board, so I think it's best if you two hear this now. I figured it could be a nice little Christmas surprise for the both of you."

"What is it?" Mike asked, sitting up straighter.

"Well, I've thought a lot about this ever since you told us how you've felt the other night, Mike," Joyce explained. "And I'm glad you did tell all of us, because that's too much for anyone to have to face on their own, especially someone your age. But, anyway, ever since you told us, I've been thinking about how I feel like I'm home again. Ever since we moved, I've felt kinda numb, like something was missing."

Mike and Will glanced at each other before Joyce plowed on.

"And being back in town makes me feel normal again. And after what you told us, Mike, I don't want to keep you and Will apart when you two care about each other so much. That's not fair of me to ask the both of you, and I'm sorry I didn't think of that sooner."

Joyce took a deep sigh.

"So, once the school year is over, I'm gonna move us back here to Hawkins," Joyce finished with a smile.

Mike and Will gaped at her, both of them at a loss for words. Mike recovered first as he threw his arms around Joyce. 

"I didn't mean you guys had to move back here," Mike said when he broke the hug.

Joyce chuckled.

"But you made it easier for me to choose to come back," she said. "Besides, I had been thinking about coming back anyway. I've been feeling something pull me back here for the past couple of weeks."

"What is it?" Will asked.

"I'm not entirely convinced that Hopper died at Starcourt Mall," Joyce confessed. "I mean, yes, he was in the line of fire when I shut off that machine, but I never saw his body. And his funeral had a closed casket, and nobody would let us look into it, so I can't be sure that he's dead. I know it's crazy, but I need to get to the bottom of what happened at Starcourt and the best place to do that is here in Hawkins."

Mike and Will glanced at each other again before Mike nodded at Joyce.

"I get it," he said. "I haven't been convinced that he was killed, either, but I thought I was just crazy."

Joyce grinned.

"Well, then maybe we can go crazy together. It's not like we haven't done it before."

Mike and Will both giggled when they heard Joyce say "crazy together" but they didn't say anything. Instead, they both hugged her and thanked her.

* * *

Around 10:30 on Christmas night, Mike and Will retired to Mike's room. They both changed quickly and brushed their teeth before they hurried back into the room, both of them excited to finally give each other their real Christmas gifts. 

"You go first, Mikey," Will said excitedly as he handed Mike the present. 

Mike nodded as he ripped the wrapping paper and pulled out a frame. Inside the frame was a drawing of Mike and Will as their DND characters. Mike was drawn as a knight, while Will was drawn in his purple wizard's outfit. At the top of the picture, Will had written "Mike, Dungeon Master, and Will the Wise. Power Duo." 

Mike glanced up at Will with tears in his eyes.

"I love this so much," he said. "Thank you, Willie."

"Of course, Mikey," Will replied as he gave Mike a quick hug. "We'll have to finish my old campaign before El and I have to leave next week."

"I'd love that," Mike said, giving Will a warm smile. "Okay, open up yours."

Will opened the small package while Mike reached over to grab something on his desk. Inside the package was a necklace that had a charm on it. The charm said "Crazy Together" on it. Will looked up at Mike when he saw this and noticed that Mike was holding another necklace in his fingers.

"I got us matching necklaces," Mike said shyly. "I wanted us to always have our phrase with us at all times, kinda like a good luck charm, you know?"

"It's perfect, Mikey, thank you," Will said as he hugged Mike again. When he broke the hug, Will hurriedly put the necklace on while Mike mimicked him.

"I still can't believe your Mom said 'Crazy together' like that earlier," Mike said with a grin.

"Do you think we should've told her why we laughed?"

"Nope," Mike said. "Let her figure it out on her own."

Will smiled as he pulled Mike in for another hug. They held each other tightly for several moments before breaking apart.

"Are you gonna be okay these next few months before we move back?" Will asked, grabbing onto Mike's hand. "I know it's only for a little while longer, but I don't want you to have to be scared anymore."

"I'll be okay, I promise," Mike replied as he squeezed Will's hand. "Knowing that you're coming back will help me if I start to feel bad. And I know that I can talk to you if things start to bother me like they have been."

"Yes you can, Mikey. I want you to call any time of day or night, all right?"

"I will. I promise, Willie."

Will nodded as he leaned forward and pulled Mike in for a kiss. It was different than their first, but it was full of love just like before. Both of them were warming up as they kissed and they could feel each other's emotions pouring through their bodies. When they broke the kiss to breathe, they giggled and pulled each other in for a hug before they slowly laid down on the bed. They snuggled into one another as they buried themselves under the blanket.

"I love you, Mikey. Always and forever."

"I love you, too, Willie. Always and forever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like them apples? Joyce is moving the family back to Hawkins because she knows that Hopper is still alive (let's face it, we all know he's still alive). 
> 
> I'm not sure if this is the end of this story or not. It's all I have planned for the moment, but I'll leave it open to a future chapter or two just in case I come up with any ideas.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on Tumblr: [@wackywriterwhowriteswhenever](http://wackywriterwhowriteswhenever.tumblr.com)


End file.
